A Body That Works
| A Body That Works | |
|---|---|
 | |
| גוף שלישי | |
| Genre | Drama |
| Created by |
|
| Directed by | Shay Capon |
| Starring |
|
| Country of origin | Israel |
| Original language | Hebrew |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 9 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 50 minutes |
| Production company | Kuma Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | Keshet 12 |
| Release | February 13, 2023 |
A Body That Works (Hebrew: גוף שלישי) is an Israeli surrogacy television drama series created by Shay Capon, Shira Hadad and Dror Mishani. It stars Yehuda Levi, Rotem Sela, Gal Malka and Lior Raz. It premiered on February 13th, 2023 on Keshet 12 in Israel.[1] It is broadcast internationally by Netflix.[2] It has been renewed for a second season.[3]
Plot summary[edit]
After a series of heartbreaking miscarriages, married couple Elie (Sela) and Ido (Levi) decide to become parents through surrogacy.[1]
Cast and characters[edit]
- Rotem Sela as Elie Avrahami, a 37 year-old literary editor and Ido's wife. She was born on a kibbutz and from the age of six, grew up in Haifa. Her parents divorced and her father moved to South Africa. She had a Phd in the literature of Yehoshua Kenaz.
- Yehuda Levi as Ido Avrahami, a 42 year-old lawyer at a private firm and Elie's husband. He grew up on a moshav near Jerusalem. At the end of the first season, his son, Michael is born.
- Gal Malka as Chen Ben-Atar, a 29 year-old single mother to ten year-old Uri. She is from Petah Tikva and works in customer service at a cell phone company. She becomes a surrogate for Ido and Elie, and sees the financial compensation as a way to rent an apartment for herself and Uri. She stays with Uri in her father's small apartment and has a strained relationship with her father. At the end of the first season she gives birth to Michael, Elie and Ido's son.
- Lior Raz as Tomer, a film director that gets close to Elie as she edits his memoirs.
- Moris Cohen as Felix Ben-Atar, Chen's father and Uri's grandfather
- Ido Silem as Uri, Chen's son
- Itay Turgeman as Yaniv, Chen's ex-partner
- Yael Eitan as Roni
Production[edit]
Co-creator, Shira Hadad was motivated by her personal experiences to create the show. Her son was born through surrogacy ten years earlier.[1]
Release[edit]
The show premiered on Keshet 12 on 13 February 2023 in Israel.[2] In February 2024, Netflix picked up show for international distribution on its platforms in the United States, Europe and Latin America.[2] The show will be broadcast by SBS in Australia, the CBC in Canada.[2] AMC Networks have the rights to distribute the show in Spain and Portugal.[2]
Reception[edit]
The show was Israel's highest rated drama in 2023, with viewership increasing as the series progressed.[3][1] In 2023, Rotem Sela and Gal Malka were awarded the Best Actress prize for an international series at Series Mania in France.[4] Hannah Brown of The Jerusalem Post praised the casting, particularly Malka: "She is by turns assertive and vulnerable and is particularly good in scenes where she has to deal with the social welfare system when her long-absent ex wants custody of their child."[5]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d Surrogacy Drama Series ‘A Body That Works’ Debuts Trailer: ‘In Israel, Pregnancy is Public Property’ (EXCLUSIVE) Variety. 21 March 2023
- ^ a b c d e Netflix Picks Up Intimate Israeli Surrogacy Drama ‘A Body That Works’ Deadline. 15 February 2024
- ^ a b Surrogacy Drama ‘A Body That Works’ Renewed for Second Season (EXCLUSIVE) Variety. 26 February 2024
- ^ Series Mania Festival 2023 Winners Announced Deadline. 24 March 2023
- ^ Israeli series 'A Body That Works' comes to Netflix The Jerusalem Post. 8 June 2024